Heath Hall Horror
by TheGatto
Summary: The budding detective Duo take on a case at a manor house where the Lord of Heath hall has dropped dead for no apparent reason. A classic 'who done it' set up. was it the Maid? The Butler? the Gardener? or maybe none from the Hall at all. only one way to find out. come join them in their search for the truth.


The knock of the door shattered the eerie silence of the large country manor. The door opened to reveal a butler. Sherlock's eyes scanned over the man, as usual he could tell the butler's life story with a glance.  
"Come in Mr Holmes, you are expected."  
The butler hopped this would bring the famous detective some entertainment, how ever the joke was lost on him.  
"so this is Heath hall" asked Watson as he looked round the impressive entrance hall, while the butler went to announce their arrival.  
"well of course John, honestly don't you pay attention to anything?"  
The butler returned and ushered the pair through to the library. There on the floor laid the body of Lord Patric Heath. Sherlock went about looking over the body. His keen eye for detail picking out even the subtlest information, a feather, a lump on the forehead and other signs of foul play.  
"seems he was killed for knowing something he shouldn't" announced Sherlock proudly.  
"what do you mean?" The musical tones of Lady Heath came out, her voice wavering from the still flowing tears of losing her husband. But Sherlock went on looking over the dead body.  
"you say all your meals are cooked on site?" Holms asked.  
"Well yes, we employ a team of staff to assist with daily needs" the Lady answered.  
"then I think I need to talk to all of them."  
The arrangements were made and one by one the staff were interviewed. Between talking to the night watchman and the head maid, Watson quizzed Sherlock.  
"So about the Lord knowing something?"  
Sherlock's smile spread, relishing the chance to show off "There was a fine layer of dandruff on his collar and under his finger nails, which were bitten to the quick; given his position as a lord, these both indicate a severe level of stress, such as finding some information of a sensitive nature. Furthermore the feather came from a feather duster. Most likely from meeting with the maid in secret, part way through her shift."  
"I see..." said Watson, still not fully convinced. "And why ask about the meals?"  
"He was poisoned. Blood shot eyes and a slight blue tint to the inside of his lips."  
This was something John could follow, for once John had a few ideas of his own thanks to his work in medicine. This was interrupted by a knock at the sitting room door. In came a portly lady. The maid.  
The pair of them had set the sitting room as they would at their Baker street home. Both of them in arm chairs with a third chair to close the triangle. Watson offered the maid a seat and the interview began.  
"So Miss Tiffany Lovell, you were last to see Lord Heath alive?" Watson started with. The maid nodded and dabbed a tear form her eye with a lace handkerchief. "and what did you talk about?" Sherlock followed up with.  
"it seemed so Trivial, his Lordship simply asked advice about arranging romantic surprises."  
Sherlock got a twinkle in his eye.  
"Just as I thought! That will be all Tiffany"  
The maid looked confused, as did Watson. Still she duly left the room.  
"Well go on then" Watson prompted.  
"It's obvious! Though I'm not even sure it's relevant to the case" Sherlock replied.  
The interviews went on throughout the day, till the last person, the gardener. He came in and sat as all the others had. As with everyone, Sherlock analysed him in a heartbeat, every detail, however tiny.  
"How well did you know Lord Heath?" Sherlock asked as he sat forward and pressed his hands together. He was watching every slight movement.  
"As well as anyone knows their boss, I suppose" The gardener shifted, uncomfortable under Sherlock's gaze.  
"But Lord Heath wasn't just any boss, was he? He was a Lord" Watson added.  
Sherlock started moving round the gardener, getting way too close, his brow furrowed in thought, making the interviewee very uncomfortable.  
"yes that's very true... Mr Holmes, what are you doing?" he asked purely to change the subject. "Don't mind me" Sherlock commented dismissively.  
"tell me about the moments leading up to the death" asked Watson.  
"Not much to tell" He started "Came in for work as usual, and consulted Patric... Lord Heath" the gardener looked away as he slipped. "consulted him on what he wanted planting this spring. After that I made the plant orders and set about the weeding. I stopped for lunch, about one, and that's when I heard Lady Heath scream... When she found Lord Heath dead." he shrugged "see a normal day, apart from the murder"  
Watson went t continue the questioning but Sherlock cut in "That will be all" He looked to his colleague and blanked the gardener. "I think it's time to check out the kitchen" Sherlock left the room, his coat sweeping out behind him in his unwavering determination. Watson gave a nod to the gardener.  
"Thank you Mr Evans" He trotted after the great, very focussed detective.  
John found Sherlock sniffing the spice jars, listing each one as he smelled it.  
"Um Sherlock..." John tried to get his associate's attention, yet Sherlock didn't heed him. Instead he went onto look though the refrigerator, inspecting each item. He looked over at Watson "How many people would know which food to poison?"  
John's brow furrowed "Well; The cook, the butler... His wife?"  
"indeed, but you have missed one out, his lover."  
John blinked and had to shake his head to try comprehend. "What?" then his face cleared "The maid! Of course!"  
"no not her" Sherlock dashed off to find Lady Heath.  
Half an hour later all the staff and Lady Heath were assembled in the room with the now cold body of Lord Heath. Outside a police car pulled up and a pair of officers entered the hall. Both officer and the detective duo went into the room.  
"This case is solved!" Sherlock exclaimed and started pacing as he explained.  
"At first I suspected the Lord was killed for finding out something he shouldn't have, But that isn't the case, is it Ms Lovell?" he went on without giving her time to reply. "no in fact it was because you found out his secret, and you showed your distaste with a strike from your feather duster. Hence the feather left on the body and the lump on his forehead. But still you couldn't kill." on he went "Then I suspected the cook, Miss Brent, but no there is nothing amiss in the kitchen at all." he paused and locked eyes with the gardener "Who else would know the power of botanicals? Who else would be on first name terms with the lord?" Mr Evans hung his head.  
"it wasn't just plants you spoke about this morning was it?" Sherlock went to the suspect and brushed some dandruff from his shoulder. "dandruff on your shoulder yet your hair is perfectly groomed. You killed the lord because he tried to break it off" By now Sherlock was eye to eye with the gardener and Mr Evans started to laugh.  
"Well done Mr Holmes. I loved Patric but he refused to come out. I had to be his dirty secret. When I heard him confide in Tiffany I had to do something." The police cuffed Mr Evans and red him his rights, as they escorted him out of the hall.  
"Well Time to get back home" Holmes said mostly to himself and swept out. John quickly added his condolences and rushed off after his friend.  
CASE CLOSED! 


End file.
